Who? Me??

I had gone to a friend’s place today to see his new born baby. Babblo* has a cute little daughter – I hope she doesnt take her looks from her dad!

So we got talking as friends do when they meet after a long time. Our favorite “R” word did come up. and so did the job switch. I see so many people who do not love their jobs, that I wonder has anybody written a paper on this? (let’s figure that out later)

This guy works for one of the big 4 consultancies, has been working with that firm for the past 4 years now. A job that any Systems MBA would kill for … yes, present company included But I know the hours are long and the gyaan is hot. It requires the sheer dedication that dissolves my resolve to get into a post like that. Again, this is not the point, moving on …

Babblo’s reason for wanting to switch is that he does not see himself becoming one of the head honchoes and top guys in the next 5-6 years. He see himself reach the middle echelons of the organization, but still sees miles to go before he sleeps. Hence, the idea of moving out and getting into a different vertical altogether. A new stint even a startup. Have you imagined a guy who eats, sleeps, breathes ITIL trying to get things done in a startup? A comic strip on these lines can rival Dilbert . Moot point being that Babblo (of course its not the true name!!) is actually turned off by the certainty of the job.

I cant identify with this funda. I for one would love some certainty on knowing what I will be doing 5-6 years down the line. Its easy to bluff, but do I really KNOW what I will be doing … hmmmmm … web surely, technology definitely, startup – could be, big hulking monolithic organization – sure why not, just pay me well!! I don’t know which is better – the certainty or the uncertainty!

• There is a 30% quota on all engineering seats in Mumbai, reserved for girls
• Women have a higher tax bracket of 1.8 L.p.a
• Free education for girls in all public schools
• Have you tried getting a facial? Or your limbs waxed? A bikini wax?
• Or delivering a child?
• Or handling cooking and other chores alongside your job?

I sometimes wonder why they don’t call men the weaker sex?

Just the other day I was talking to Amol aka Baba. Our discussions can  meander from technology to yoga to relationships, well to put in a nutshell, they makes you think (yes, its a philosophical post). So, the question that cropped up was – What is peace of mind mean to you?

Any takers? Well for me, peace of mind is the place where I don’t have to make any extra efforts to reach my destination. Further thinking led to the point that you can be en route to that destination and still have peace of mind, which I think could be the case when you know that in due course you are going to get there.

Baba later pointed out, that a person can feel uncertainty, anger, frustration, et al and still have his/her peace of mind. If the person knows the difference between his core feelings – the ones which help him achieve his id and his ternary feelings – the ones which can be dispensed off with i.e.. the anger, frustration, et al. But that person would have to be completed detached – a sadhu of sorts. That would be some person … well for one, his family would not be happy with this guy’s eternal cool.

Kind of reminds me of that Socrates’ incident, when his wife threw a bucket of water at him because he would not get into a fight with her. After which Socrates coolly said, “It seldom rains after the thunder”. Now that is peace of mind , What say?

An extension of the last post, but I figured – that it deserves a separate mention. So, here we go!!

On the day I touched Mumbai, one of the first things I did was back-up my machine and format it. Formatting is like a cleansing mechanism for me … like turning over a new leaf. A new OS, a new folder structure, my choice and my will to decide how I want to proceed forward. The data of the past legacy long forgotten and the freedom to take decisions as I want them.

Erasing all the baggage and getting rejuvenated for a new life. As I write this, it gives me a secret thrill … to be on the verge of a new year, in the middle of an economic crisis, without getting shackled to a conventional “job”. Have decided to benefit from the past years, and the advises given by friends … and here is my resolution for the new year (I know it’s early, but I intend on keeping this one).

To be more critical – because chalta hain does not cut it.

Think about it.

As a child … and as a teen even … well lets just say the pre-25 years , I used to love the thrill of life. The excitement of it all … resigning from the job to give the CAT, not knowing what I am going to do next, walking around in the city with friends … carefree, without a care in the world. The one thing I looked down upon despised, was the normal, routine rote of a life that my folks and all the 40 something’s were following. How boring!! How can one live a life knowing ahead their every move?

I then touched 25. Finished by Post Graduation. Got a job. Welcome to the real world Neo.

With my risk appetite going down every coming year, and with my blood pressure going up, it becomes a necessity to know these things. To follow the simplicity of a routine. No surprises. Give me my daal-roti and I will gladly leave the Chicken Makhanwalla’s of the restaurants. Yeah … I would love having a normal, boring life for once. We as human beings are constantly striving to achieve that normalcy … and so few of us actually manage to achieve it. As Fido Dido would have you believe … Normal is boring .. hey give me boring, and let me be

In a world where the difference between real and virtual is diminishing day by day, I ask you … do you have your own version of reality?

We as a human race tend to twist the reality around us to suit our needs, to feel comfortable and self satisfied … to know that we are correct and proper. In fact saying this makes me feel as if I myself am doing that … sitting on my high horse. But is it not true?

Then one would say, you should empathize with that person and see the world from his perspective … true. If that is the case, then what is real? Or more importantly what is correct and what is wrong?

In the book Shantaram (read this one if you havent already!!), the character Kader Khan might be the closest one to that answer … if everyone in the world does that act, and that act simplifies the universe, then it is not correct (since the very nature of the universe is to become more and more complex). Take the example of murder, if everyone started committing this act, then the human population will dwindle … this simplifies the universe … not good. Or adultery, if everyone starts sleeping around … then marriage, relationships, etc, are inviolated … this simplifies the universe … not good either!!

If everyone starts blogging, this creates a complex blogosphere of opinions, information and thoughts … complex!! I blog, do you?

Was browsing and checking the incoming and outgoing links on my blog, when I came across this thought provoking post. Happiness by Veena where she tries to define this intangible emotion … makes you think na? I tried my best to define it .. but then I realized that to define this, I will have to make a boundary around it and then bring a structure to it (think through this before you rush to comment).

Why then should I bother to put a boundary on something which cannot and should not have any limits?

I have decided to leave the intangibles to the marketing gurus and just define what Happiness means to me -

• being with my loved ones
• a new game on a uber-gaming machine
• ghar ka khana
• a beautiful piece of code
• pizza!!
• a hot steaming cup of coffee/tea early in the morning
• maggi at 4 am
• PS3 + 42″ HDTV

Heck, the list will go on for some time. I guess overall, I am a happy person

I have a classmate from school. The fellow was brilliant. Is infact … brilliant. After school, we joined the same junior college, and he promptly started gunning for the IITs. He cracked IITJEE the first time around, he also managed to get a decent percentage with the Maharashtra board. God knows how he managed all that, I had a tough time to mug up all the studies. Engineering was a relief, and so was normal working life … MBA was a blast for me. I lost contact with him as the years gone by. The last I had heard was a brief article in the news about him starting his own company which made RSS readers for the blind. I remember thinking like a business person, how is this going to make money!?!

Recently, out of the blue, I get a call from him. For old times sake, we decide to meet. The guy is happily chatting about his business plans and all that. I naturally assumed that he finally found a way to monetize his RSS readers. After 2 hours or so, I realized that this was something else he was talking. Apparently he had closed down his company and was now working full time as a network marketing professional. For the uninitiated, that means he will sell some company’s products directly for a commission, and the people he sells them to can do the same, whereupon all the middle men in the transaction get a decent commission. Incredulously I agreed to attend one such sales pitch … I will not name this person (you know who you are!!), and I certainly wont name the company.

I have been avoiding him ever since. How can you forego your education, your training, your ambitions, your dreams … for money? Where is the joy of achieving in that … did he not feel that when he got into IIT Bombay, Comp. Sci?? Did he not feel that when he started his own company? How do you let go of that addictive feel of achieving … for the sake of money. What a waste.

What would you reward more in your firm? Often, in a start-up, you need that zeal, that spirit, that enthusiasm to get things going. To overcome the inertia of normal living, to overcome the difficulties that would falter any one … to get the thing done. My sales team is full of young and enthusiastic fellows.

We recently hired a new director to head one of the SBU’s of the firm. Jolly Jose has a mountain of experience behind him, is persistent and dedicated to the job, knows enough tricks and tips of the trade to get those things done. His experience offers him insights that we normally miss out on. My technology team started out young, but now is a mix of veterans and enthusiastic people, I favor the experienced guys myself, since I know that when the cookie crumbles, it is the battle hardened veterans who will keep their cool and carry the ship through past seen stormy waters.

So what do you think? Enthusiasm or Experience?